TIPTOE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tiptoe mean? 

• TIPTOE (noun)
  The noun TIPTOE has 1 sense:

1. the tip of a toe

  Familiarity information: TIPTOE used as a noun is very rare.

• TIPTOE (adjective)
  The adjective TIPTOE has 1 sense:

1. walking on the tips of ones's toes so as to make no noise

  Familiarity information: TIPTOE used as an adjective is very rare.

• TIPTOE (verb)
  The verb TIPTOE has 1 sense:

1. walk on one's toes

  Familiarity information: TIPTOE used as a verb is very rare.

• TIPTOE (adverb)
  The adverb TIPTOE has 1 sense:

1. on tiptoe or as if on tiptoe

  Familiarity information: TIPTOE used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TIPTOE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The tip of a toe

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("tiptoe" is a kind of...):

tip (the extreme end of something; especially something pointed)

Holonyms ("tiptoe" is a part of...):

toe (one of the digits of the foot)

Derivation:

tiptoe (walk on one's toes)

• TIPTOE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Walking on the tips of ones's toes so as to make no noise

Context example:

moving with tiptoe steps

Similar:

quiet (free of noise or uproar; or making little if any sound)

• TIPTOE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they tiptoe    ... he / she / it tiptoes   
Past simple: tiptoed   
Past participle: tiptoed   
-ing form: tiptoeing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Walk on one's toes

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

tip; tippytoe; tiptoe

Hypernyms (to "tiptoe" is one way to...):

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

The children tiptoe to the playground

Derivation:

tiptoe (the tip of a toe)

• TIPTOE (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

On tiptoe or as if on tiptoe

Context example:

standing tiptoe

 Context examples 

She then went away, walking on tiptoe out of the room, as if she supposed her young friend's affliction could be increased by noise.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Holmes entered on tiptoe, waited for me to follow, and then very gently closed the door.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They drew near on tiptoe, turned it on its back and beheld the face of Edward Hyde.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

On tiptoe she entered; the room was before her; but it was some minutes before she could advance another step.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I came tiptoe into our own room, and found Mina asleep, breathing so softly that I had to put my ear down to hear it.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“The three men having ascended the stairs, which they did on tiptoe, the elder man first, the younger man second, and the unknown man in the rear—”

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This was my chance. I tiptoed across the cabin and to the top of the stairs.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

However, as it must be done, I went down, after two or three false starts half-way, and as many runs back on tiptoe to my own room, and presented myself in the parlour.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Tiptoes! tiptoes!

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Walking on tiptoe round the bushes, he stood in amazement to see two men bounding about on their heads, while they played, the one a viol and the other a pipe, as merrily and as truly as though they were seated in a choir.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)